Charity, from A to Z(ita)

"A" stands for "Arnold." He is a diocesan priest who saves lives by patiently collecting old newspapers, toys, clothes and furniture, transforming them into cash for the education and sustenance of underprivileged children.

"Z" stands for Zita, the surname of a man who heads one of the biggest hotel chains and real estate groups in the Philippines.

One day, the paths of Fr. Arnold Eramiz and Tom Zita Jr. chairman of the board of the Shang Grand Tower Corp. and president of the Shangri-La Philippines Properties, crossed, and together they decided to be "farmers." Except that their harvest wouldn’t only consist of crops – they would also include used computers, old newspapers, even legal services, and that the harvest would go to the less fortunate.

"It all started with Share-a-Fare, a program wherein we donated clean and fresh food from the hotel and the tenants of the Shangri-La mall to charitable institutions," recalls Zita. These would include crusty French bread and other food items that kept well but remained unsold at the end of the day.

Fr. Arnold celebrates Sunday Mass at the building where Tom and his wife Kathy (Mabanta) live and the couple forged a bond with him. Over dinner one night in 2004, the couple, who regularly volunteered at soup kitchens when they were living in the US, told Fr. Arnold they wanted to share their blessings and be instruments through which others could also share – and receive – these blessings.

Thus was born Harvest Foundation, which was also the name of the group that would sponsor the soup kitchens where Tom and Kathy would help out.

"Our aim was to match donors and donees. There are so many other foundations for orphans and the elderly, but you don’t really have a group that’s constantly looking for things that can be donated, whether its goods or services. For example, during the recent landslide in Leyte, we determined what was needed, and what was needed was tents, water and so on. We raised money, and we bought the supplies and gave it to different charitable organizations. We want to be a conduit between those who want to donate something and those that need the donations. The only way to go about it is to match the donated goods with those in need of them, immediately, without us taking possession of the stuff," points out Zita.

"In other words, we want to ‘marry’ donors and donees," Fr. Arnold, the true priest that he is, elaborates.

"Our focus is just about anybody. Next month we will have a legal fair," continues Zita, who is relocating to the US before year-end for new responsibilities, but will still be active in Harvest even by remote control. "We were also able to get medicines from a donor and now we’re looking for beneficiaries. We don’t have a warehouse. We try immediately to deliver the donations."

They raised over P7 million for the Leyte landslide victims and immediately used the money for the purchase of relief goods. During Zita’s last birthday party, a silent auction was held (among the items auctioned was an autographed photo of Brad Pitt) and the proceeds went to Harvest.

Harvest’s regular beneficiaries are Fr. Al’s Children’s Foundation in Silang, Cavite (Girls’ and Boys’ Town); Mary Immaculate Children’s Center in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan; Children’s Joy Foundation in Project 8, Quezon City; the Augustinian Recollect Sisters in Tagaytay and the Home for the Aged and Infirm in Bataan.

"Our biggest harvest is ongoing," says Zita, referring to the food collected at the end of the day from the hotel and the mall’s tenants. "We also donate soaps, towels, sheets. I had a friend who, wanted to donate a huge TV, and we found it a place at the Girls Town in Silang, where 3,000 girls crowd in front of a 29-in. TV set!"

Zita says there is no "minimum" donation. If you have something of use that you want to donate that you believe will be appreciated and put to good use by the less fortunate, Harvest will be your bridge, adds Sandra Garcia, one of the Foundation’s directors.

There is so much to share and a lot of generous individuals who want to share, believes Tom Zita.

His credibility and that of the Shangri-La Group (Harvest’s biggest donor) makes many donors secure that their donations will go to the right people.

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"I am already identified with old clothes, books and newspapers," laughs Fr. Arnold, who was ordained in 1997. "I have been selling old newspapers for years now, and I have sent many to school because of this, sometimes as many as 10 at a time."

"Even in the act of collecting old newspapers, God is there," smiles the Masbate-born priest. Fr. Arnold recalls that he first entered the seminary because he wanted to play basketball with his cousins, who were also enrolled there. (He has 14 cousins who are now priests, in addition to four uncles who are also priests!).

"I stayed because I felt God was really calling me. If it is really God calling you, if it is God’s decision, you can’t run away," he adds.

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So what happens when a corporate czar with a a multitude of connections and a dedicated priest cross paths?

The harvest of goodness multiplies. The world may be full of people whose interests don’t go beyond their skin. But when it comes to people with a heart of gold, there is no drought.

Sometimes all you need is a bridge – or a good priest willing to harvest your old newspapers.

(HARVEST is spearheaded by Tomas C. Zita Jr, vice-chairman of the Kuok Group of Companies.  Its incorporators and trustees include Katherine M. Zita, Fr. Arnold T. Eramiz, Sandra Garcia, Federico G. Noel Jr. and Maria Myla Rae M Santos.  For inquiries, please calls its executive director Marilou Vicencio at 636-6844 and 0917-844-5431)

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(You may e-mail me at [email protected])